Your Character Is Defined By The Pride You Take In The Details

Especially when (it looks like) nobody is watching.

Especially when (it looks like) nobody is watching.

“I saw a 40+ year old grocery store employee, taking pride in cart organization at 10pm on a Saturday night.

I don’t care if you work on Wall Street or at Publix, your character is defined by the pride you take in the details, especially when (it looks like) nobody is watching.”

-Ray Zingler on X

The only thing I regret was not walking up to him, shaking his hand, and sincerely thanking him for his efforts that inspired me.

When I was 18, I would have thought that man was a “loser” because he was working at a grocery store in his middle age and it irks me to know that about my past self.

Now, I know that man is not only a productive member of society, working hard to provide for himself and his family, he takes pride in what he does for a living.

How easy would it be to sloppily throw the carts back in the cart return and then sit on one of the benches and play on his phone until his shift ends?

But he didn’t do that, he was taking pride in his job and elevating your experience in the grocery store.

Pride, real PRIDE. How cool is that?

It’s cool because we undervalue and take pride for granted in the modern era.

We live a digital world where we can have everything done for us, right now.

And we do so without a care in the world for craftsmanship as we buy the cheaper version on Amazon because it’ll be here in 2 days.

The reason it’s sad is because pride is a predictor of quality and it seems most have lost their desire for that, too, as we price shop everything from furniture to coaching for our kids.

But here is a fundamental, inarguable truth of life:

Your character is defined by the pride you take in the details, especially when (it looks like) nobody is watching.

This is true for world leaders, small business owners, and youth athletes and every demographic in between.

Can you make the tough call when the pressure is on?

Can you sweep the corners when nobody is watching or will notice, anyway?

Can you wake up 15 minutes earlier to eat a nutritious breakfast that will fuel your day?

Again, the masses of people won’t, but it’s these simple, mundane actions that make all the difference in the world.

Those “little things” are actually the big things and are exactly what will elevate you beyond the masses of mediocrity.

If you’re going to do it, take pride in it.

Share the Post:

Related Posts